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The Magic of Al Capp
It all began in Capp's childhood. He was blessed with an encouraging, artistic family, and, despite the trauma of losing his left leg in a trolley accident at the age of nine, he devoted his young life to honing his cartooning skills. Sure enough, at age 19, he was the youngest syndicated cartoonist in America with his daily Colonel Gilfeather, which he did for the Associated Press. Soon after his stint with Gilfeather, he began working on Joe Palooka for Ham Fisher. It was a match that wasn't exactly made in heaven. Capp found Fisher's working conditions horrendous, and decided to work on his own. This created a lifelong rift with Fisher, but gave America some of their most beloved and enduring characters. The strip that resulted from Capp's decision was none other than Li'l Abner, and it first came onto the scene in 1934 (with the first Sunday pages published in 1935). Capp's lovable bunch of hillbillies all living happily in the land of Dogpatch included the likes of Daisy Mae, Mammy and Pappy Yokum, Marryin' Sam, Sadie Hawkins, Sir Cecil and Lady Cesspool, Hairless Joe, Lonesome Polecat, and of course, Fearless Fosdick, the irresistible Shmoos (see past Scoops for more - we can't get enough of those little blobs!) and so many more. Capp put just as much effort into the development of his main characters as he did his supporting characters, crafting a variety of different (and hilarious) personalities that lent an excitement to every facet of life in Dogpatch. Through the years, it's easy to trace these characters and watch their evolution not only as they grow from young to old, but also as their moods, ideals and values change with the times (and with Capp's changing stances on issues of the day). These characters were utterly unique and became immensely popular, and, injected with Capp's brilliant social and political satire, they were a perfect sign of their times. From just after the Great Depression to beyond the end of the Vietnam War, Li'l Abner was an undeniable part of popular culture. United Features Syndicate sold it to hundreds of newspapers from the start, and hundreds more kept being added. The popularity of the strip grew and grew, multiplying at an almost Shmoo-like rate. Soon, it reached a circulation of 60,000,000 - and then Capp did the unthinkable. He managed to gain control of his strip from United Features at a time when syndicates owned the copyrights, trademarks and merchandise rights to all their strips. Capp's popularity grew and, in addition to the radio show, animated shorts and Broadway musical that his strip inspired, there were the frequent media appearances that Capp himself made. He became quite a celebrity, and, though he retired the strip in 1977, two years before his death, his legacy is still important and fascinating today. Here, we have pictured the original art for Sunday October 29, 1939. It is a perfect example of how it is possible to buy a piece of original art by one of the recognized masters of the form for very little money. This original will be sold in Russ Cochran's Comic Art Auction on January 29, 2003, and is estimated at only $200-400, and is offered with no reserve. This auction will contain nearly 150 comic art originals, most of them from the collection of Gordon Campbell, and most also at no reserve. Bargains are expected to abound. For more information on this auction, call 1-800-EC CRYPT.
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